The Plan in Action
by BlueSunflower
Summary: Sam struggles to keep his relationship with Andi in the midst of the chaos his life with the Devil brings. All chapters up.
1. Chapter 1

Sam entered his apartment and sighed as he leaned against the door he had just closed. The evidence of how much trouble he was in lay in front of him. The table still had the wine glasses and dinner plates perfectly positioned, although Sam suspected the woman who had placed them there had long since gone back to her own home.

"Dammit."

Walking into the empty apartment, Sam dropped his backpack onto the couch. He was exhausted. It had been a long night, even longer than it should have been. He'd promised Andi he'd meet her for dinner, after he got off work at the Bench. She had teased him, promising to make him a dinner he wouldn't forget - and perhaps a dessert afterwards he'd love even more. It hadn't taken much for Sam to convince Sock to get out for the night after _that _conversation. Sock had been all too willing to let Sam have the apartment when he found out his best friend might finally be getting - in Sock's words 'nooky' - from the girl he'd been chasing after for what seemed like an eternity. He said he needed his mom to do his laundry anyways.

But of course, the second Sam had clocked out, the staffroom he'd been in quickly dissolved into a crime scene, with three dead bodies gruesomely displayed in front of him, and a Devil grinning at him. A new assignment, a new vessel, and a new ultimatum had ensured that Sam wouldn't be keeping his 9 pm date with Andi.

Watching the morning sunlight stream in through the window, he sighed to no one in particular. "I'd only really wanted dinner."

Unfortunately, an all too familiar voice answered back. "You sure about that, Sammy? Just the dinner, and not the dessert?"

Turning around, Sam saw the Devil standing behind him. Irritated by the reminder about how he had no privacy, he tried to draw a line. "That's none of your business."

"It is my business, when it interferes with you doing your job."

Sam let his anger get the better of him. "How? How was a simple night with my girlfriend interfering with my job? I didn't even have a job before I made plans for last night!"

The Devil simply said nothing, and walked over to the table to survey the wine bottle Andi had brought. Tsking, he shook his head. "I bet she got this from the local grocery store."

A realization hit him, and Sam accused the Devil, "You set me up, didn't you? You knowingly gave me that assignment so that I wouldn't make dinner."

The Devil shrugged. "Guilty, Sammy. You caught me."

Deflated, and knowing the Devil preyed on weakness, Sam struggled to keep the pleading out of his voice. "Why? You said I could be with her, as long as she doesn't learn the truth. You know how hard I worked to get her. How long it took. How hard I've been working to keep her, because of all the lies I have to tell her. You know all that."

"I know, and I feel awful about you missing yet another date with Andi."

Sam snorted. "Don't. Just don't. Don't pretend you give a damn when I know you don't. I just want to know why."

"You _are _always stupid when it involves that girl, Sam. I have to admit I don't like it."

"Well, you know what you can do about that." Sam snapped back. The Devil raised an eyebrow, and Sam immediately realized his mistake. Resentfully he added on, "I only meant, you can always just forbid me to see her. It's not like I can tell you no."

The Devil smiled coldly, and Sam felt the beginnings of fear. It dawned on him that this might not be about Andi, or his job performance. "That's right, Sam. You can't say no, can you?" Acting as if he was musing aloud, the Devil said, "What an interesting thought. What _would _you do if I forbid you from something you loved? Told you you couldn't see your family or friends again? Cut you off from all you've known before?"

Suddenly, Sam knew what was happening. The Devil knew about yesterday morning. At the time, Sam thought he'd gotten away with it and the Devil didn't know. Obviously, that had been wishful thinking. He clearly did know, and Sam was about to pay for it. The fear intensified into a near terror. Thoughts of no friends, family, money, job, shelter, car, clothes, or food crept into his mind. He wasn't ready for this.

Barely more than a whisper, Sam tried to apologize. "I'm sorry. I won't do it again."

This time the smile was more warm and genuine. The Devil walked over and put an arm around Sam's shoulder. "I know you won't, Sammy. That's one of the things I love about you. You always learn your lesson." Ruffling Sam's hair, he added, "And you've learned your lesson here, haven't you Sam?"

Sam merely nodded.

The Devil walked back over to the couch and looked in the backpack. "Is Neesam in here?" Sam nodded again, still unable to speak. The Devil gave a wide grin and clasped his hands together. Acting like Neesam was a new toy he couldn't wait to unwrap, he directed Sam, "Make sure you turn him in today. I have big plans for our little troublemaker."

"Yes."

"And Sam?"

"Yes?"

"You did a good job last night. Take the day off and have some fun. You deserve it."


	2. Chapter 2

"Sam? Is that you?"

Startled, Sam spun around for the second time that night and saw Andi standing in the doorframe to his bedroom. She must have stayed the night, even though he hadn't come home. She'd obviously just woken up. To his pleasant surprise, he saw she had raided his clothes and was wearing one of his old t-shirts and a pair of boxer shorts. Yawning, she asked him, "Who are you talking to?"

"No one," Sam said, checking to make sure the Devil had left. "Just myself." She gave him the look she always gave when she didn't believe his lies. Sam looked down, unable to meet her accusing stare. "I was just, uh, kicking myself for not being here last night." Looking back at the table, he said, "It looks like I messed up what promised to be an amazing evening."

"Yes, you did."

To his surprise, Sam detected a hint of softness in her tone. "You're not angry?"

Andi shrugged. "Yes, I am. I spent hours making your favorite meal, only to see it ruined when you didn't show up." She gave him a pointed look. "Or call. But we can talk about it later." Sam felt a pang of regret about not calling her, but his new powers had shorted his phone the second the Devil had given him his new assignment. There was nothing he could do about that, so he brought his attention back to Andi. "Right now, I'm just relieved to see you're okay," she said. She noticed his unkempt appearance and sighed. "You must be hungry. Have you eaten yet?"

Reluctantly, Sam shook his head. Andi walked over to the cupboard and pulled out a box of cereal. She placed the box, two bowls, and a carton of milk on the table. Sam hoped she'd brought the milk herself considering he and Sock hadn't gone grocery shopping for over two weeks. Andi sat down and poured them both out some of the cereal while Sam joined her. They sat in an uncomfortable silence, eating breakfast. Sam wondered when Andi would finally call him on his absence last night. He found he didn't have to wait long.

"So," she started, "What happened this time? What brilliant excuse are you going to tell me to try and explain why you once again blew me off?"

Sam sighed heavily. He couldn't figure out why Andi hadn't dumped his ass months ago. God knew he would deserve it if she left. In the end, Sam opted for the safest route: avoidance. "No excuse," he told her. "I just couldn't be here." She looked hurt, and he felt even more guilty. "I'm really sorry, Andi."

She leaned in to scrutinize him, although Sam didn't know what she was looking for. After a moment, she sank back in her chair and sighed. "You know, Sam, I almost believe you. I almost believe you are actually sorry." She visibly relaxed, and put her hand on his. Sam gave a small smile and picked up their dishes. He took them over to the sink. Andi followed and grabbed a dishtowel. She dried while he washed, although Sam tried to insist he didn't need any help.

When they were done, Sam turned to her. "I promise I'll make it up to you," he said.

Andi grinned. "What do you have in mind?"

He leaned over to take advantage of her softening resolve in order to give her a kiss. "How about" - kiss - "we try" - kiss - "it again" - kiss - "tonight?" - kiss.

This time it was Andi's turn to look guilty. "Uh, yeah. About that." She hesitated, then finally admitted to him, "Truth be told, you really didn't ruin dinner." Sam looked at her incredulously. Twisting the towel, she said, "I, uh, kinda ruined it on my own." Straightening up in a way that made Sam fall for her even more, she got all indignant. "Who knew if you overcooked noodles they got hard again? For God's sake they're in water! Water! Water's supposed to make them _soft_!"

Sam just watched her. God, she was so cute when she was angry. Without thinking, he said, "I love you."

Andi melted, but still kept her petulant look. She moved closer and played with his shirt. "Besides, Josie called. She wants us all to go out with her tonight. She says she has a big announcement or something. She was all excited on the phone."

"Okay. Dinner tonight with Josie." Sam agreed. Quirking a smile, he asked, "But there's a lot of time before then. Whatever are we going to do to fill the hours?"

Andi's eyes sparkled and they kissed again. Only instead of the light teasing they'd been doing, it suddenly became more serious. Andi wrapped an arm around his neck and deepened the kiss. Sam pulled back and caught her eyes, wondering if he was getting the right idea.

As if to confirm his thoughts, Andi asked, "How long did you say Sock would be gone?"

"All day. He, uh, had a lot of laundry."

Andi nodded as if that was exactly what she wanted to hear. She started pulling him towards his bedroom. "In that case, I can only really think of one thing to do."

Sam raised an eyebrow, and allowed himself to be pulled. "And what would that be?"

Andi lifted off her tee to show the lacy bra underneath. "Dessert."


	3. Chapter 3

Hours later and they were still making out, although this time they were sitting in Andi's car in the DMV parking lot. Sam leaned in for a kiss. She obliged, but complained. "I still don't see why you have to do this now. Can't it wait until tomorrow?"

"I told you. I'm past the 30 days. I just have to do this one thing. If I don't change my address, who knows what ticket I'll get. It'll only take a minute, I promise." Andi gave him a look that told him what she thought of his promises. Sam got out of the car and dashed into the DMV. There he took his usual place in line.

Finally. As the woman in front of Gladys' station left, Sam quickly moved to take her place. "Hi, Gladys." To his consternation, Gladys didn't immediately say her usual maxim. Instead, she looked at him curiously. Then she gave a him a meaningful smile.

"Looks like someone finally learned to play the big boy games."

Embarrassed, Sam said nothing, but knew he was turning red. He had no idea how Gladys knew, and to be honest, he didn't want to know. Thank God Andi had decided to wait in the car. Ignoring Gladys' comment, he asked, "Place the vessel on the mat?"

She took the hint. "Place the vessel on the mat." Gladly, Sam put the toothbrush on the mat. Gladys looked it over, then finally picked it up and started putting it in the tube.

"Thanks, Gladys," Sam said, and turned to leave.

But apparently Gladys couldn't let him leave without one more jibe. She called loud enough for the whole lobby to hear. "Don't forget to use your umbrella when you're in the middle of a storm!" Sam practically ran to get out of there.

Jumping into the car, Andi scolded him. "It's about time."

"Let's just go," Sam muttered.

* * *

They arrived late. Even more surprising, Sock and Ben had already beaten them there. In fact, it looked like they'd been there for quite awhile, since by the time he and Andi sat down at the table, Sock and Josie were in full battle mode. Ben rolled his eyes when he saw his friends join them, and gave a look that plainly said he'd given up a long time ago trying to make peace. In an attempt to interrupt the bickering non-couple, Andi commented to Josie, "Wow, Josie. This is a really nice place. You must have some big news."

Josie threw a harsh look to Sock, who reciprocated by sticking his tongue out. "Why thank you, Andi. I do," she said proudly. "You are now looking at the newest Assistant DA in the Homicide Division. I've been assigned my first solo case."

"Wow!" "Congrats!" "Way to go, Josie!"

Josie glared at Sock. Finally, he reluctantly conceded. "Congratulations." Clearly annoyed he had to admit Josie was good at anything, Sock immediately changed directions.

"So," he smirked at Sam and Andi, "what did you two do today? Anything interesting you'd like to share with the class?"

Sam felt himself turn red again. He tried to cover by picking up his menu and ignoring Sock's jibe. "Anybody know the special of the day?" he tried to casually ask. Andi glared at him, but he stuck to his poorly conceived plan. She was better at standing up for herself than he was. She could easily put Sock in his place.

Sam was still hiding behind his menu when the waitress approached. "Are you guys ready to order?" she asked with a faint accent. To Sam's surprise, not one of his friends even acknowledged the girl's question, or even her presence. Of course, the battle that had re-emerged between Josie and Sock may have been the cause of that.

Sam put his menu down. She was nice looking, but Sam couldn't help thinking she looked tired. "Uh, I don't think we're ready. Can we get a couple more minutes?"

"No problem. I'll come back." She gave a vacant smile to him as she left.

He looked around to see his friends staring at him, not one of them speaking. "What?"

Andi looked concerned. "Sam, who were you talking to?"

"The waitress. Didn't you see her? She was just here trying to take our order, and you guys completely ignored her."

"Sam," Josie hesitated, "our waiter is a man, and he hasn't been here since he seated you and Andi." At this, all four of his friends nodded.

Sam turned around and looked for the girl who had just come to their table. He finally spotted her just before she disappeared down a hallway leading to the restrooms. As she turned to go around the corner, Sam saw a large red bloodstain pooled on the back of her white shirt.

"Excuse me," Sam said, and rose to follow the girl.

* * *

By the time Sam reached the hallway, the girl had disappeared. Sam hit the wall with his fist in irritation.

"Can I help you sir?"

Sam turned around to face the waiter who had just approached him. Thinking fast, Sam said, "I, uh, I…uh, this is kinda embarrassing." Pushing forward in a rush, he stumbled over his words. "I met this girl the other night, and she told me she worked here. I, kinda, uh, thought maybe if I came here, I could see her and maybe get her phone number."

The waiter gave Sam a look that made it clear he disapproved of Sam's intentions. "Ah, I see. I'm afraid though that we don't give out phone numbers of our employees. But if you give me a message, I will most certainly give it to her."

"Yeah, uh, that's the other problem. I didn't get her name either."

"Then I am afraid I cannot help you."

Sam quickly tried to salvage the situation. "Wait! She's got dark brown hair. About this tall," Sam indicated up to his eyebrows, "and she spoke with a slight accent."

The waiter nodded again. "You mean Melissa. She was scheduled to work tonight, but never showed up." The waiter shook his head. "It's unlike her." He obviously was unaware that Melissa would never show up to work again.

"Does Melissa have a last name?"

"I'm sorry, I can't tell you that. I'm afraid I've given you too much information already."

Defeated, Sam gave up. "Thanks," he told the waiter. He got a "no problem" in return. The waiter left Sam and returned to see to some other guests. Sam was rapidly running out of ideas. As he was about to return to the table, he noticed some stairs at the end of the hall. Walking towards them, he realized that the manager's office must be up there. If so, Melissa's name, address, and any other information he might need would be up there as well. The problem was getting in and out of there without anyone knowing. What he needed was a diversion.

Quickly, Sam headed straight back towards the main dining area, but before he got there he stopped. At the table, Sock and Ben were seated facing the entrance, but didn't yet see him. Trying to get their attention, without also getting Josie and Andi's attention, Sam hid behind a plant at the entrance and peeked through. He put his hand out and waved it, hoping one of his friends would see him. Luckily, Ben looked up. Sam pantomimed by pointing to himself, then upstairs, then at all the waiters. Ben nodded, then leaned over and whispered in Sock's ear.

Sock lit up like a kid given candy on Christmas.

* * *

Whatever Sock was doing, he was certainly doing it well, Sam thought as he rummaged through the files in the manager's office. He could still hear the commotion all the way up here. Thumbing through each folder, he finally found the one labeled "Daughtry, Melissa."

Smiling to himself, Sam murmured, "Gotcha."


	4. Chapter 4

"When did you learn to pick a lock?" Ben asked incredulously.

"I thought it might be a useful skill to have."

"The Devil would be proud of you, Sam."

Sam stopped what he was doing and turned around to glare at Ben. "That was low, Ben. I didn't deserve that."

"Sorry." Ben actually looked contrite. He raised his eyebrows when he heard the click, and Sam opened the door to Melissa's apartment. Obviously impressed, he complimented Sam with a "Niiice."

"Thanks." But before Sam could go in, Sock swaggered past him and started to enter the main room.

"Let's get this show on the - oh." He stopped when he saw Melissa's body lying on the floor in a pool of blood.

Sam turned serious. "Sock, I think you should wait outside."

"Why?"

"Does 'a bull in a china shop' mean anything to you?" Ben asked flippantly.

Sock looked like he was about to argue, but then looked back at Melissa's body. "Yeah, okay. I'll keep watch in the hall."

"Good idea," Sam agreed. "Ben and I'll do the scouting."

Sam turned to Ben and warned him. "Remember, don't touch anything. We don't want to leave any evidence we were here." Ben nodded, then entered the room.

"Anything in particular we're looking for, Sam?"

"I have no idea. Anything that will tell us what happened to her."

They walked around the room. It was a two bedroom apartment. To Sam's eye, while it was a little messy, nothing really looked out of place. But then again, Sam's mind wasn't entirely on the job.

"Hey, Ben?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think Andi was happy tonight?"

Ben didn't answer immediately. "Why are you asking, Sam?"

Trying to put a voice to his thoughts, Sam explained. "When we left, I went to kiss her goodnight and it just," he paused searching for the right words, "it just wasn't the same as earlier today."

"Well, Sam, you did kinda dump her at the restaurant tonight. You left early, and you used a pretty lame excuse to do it too. I mean, you told her you left your keys at home. Then you told her Sock left his at his mom's. How stupid is that?" Ben turned back to his searching. "She mentioned you also missed dinner last night too. She was probably upset about that."

"Yeah, you're probably right. I'm gonna have to think of something really special to make it up to her."

Ben didn't answer. Instead he indicated the second bedroom. "Look, she's got a kid. A little boy."

Sam walked over to look. "Huh." He looked around. "There's no kid here."

"Do you think maybe the soul took him?"

Sam shook his head. "She was supposed to work tonight. He's probably with a babysitter."

Suddenly Sock ran to the door. "The cops are here."

* * *

Sock, Ben, and Sam stood outside in the gathering crowd, watching the police set up their crime scene investigation. "The restaurant must have called them when she didn't show up for work." Sam reasoned. Looking around, he scanned the people who were milling about. His attention was caught by a rough looking man standing several yards off to the side.

"That's him." Sam didn't know how he knew, but he'd bet his life that was the soul he was after.

Sock looked at him. "Huh?"

"The soul," Sam pointed. "He's right there." To his surprise, the soul looked directly at him. Then he started to run. Without thinking, Sam took off right after him.

"Wait!" Ben yelled after him. "You don't have a vessel!"

* * *

Sam lost the soul after about a mile. He cursed to himself.

"Not one of your brighter moves, eh sport? Going after him without a vessel. What were you planning to use to catch him? Your amazing powers of sarcasm?"

At the sound of the mocking laugh, Sam closed his eyes and sighed. "I thought you said I could have the day off."

"You did have the day off." He pointed up to the sky. "In case you haven't noticed kiddo, it's night now."

Sam sighed again. Exasperation didn't begin to describe how he felt about the demon standing next to him.

"Sooooo….."

Sam knew what was coming and tried to head it off. "Tell me about the soul."

"C'mon, Sammy." The Devil put on his best charming smile and tilted his head in amusement. "Was it your first time?"

"We are so not having this conversation."

"I bet it was your first time."

"Knock it off." Sam gritted his teeth.

"A young man's first time, pretty special. How'd it feel?"

This was so unfair. "It was nice, alright? Now leave me alone."

"Sam," the Devil chided, "if it was just 'nice' then you weren't doing it right." He grinned. "Let me give you some tips…"

"No."

"There's this one that drives women wild. Get some - "

"Stop it."

" - whipped cream - "

"SHUT UP!" Sam always felt like he needed to walk around with a wall just so he could bang his head against it. "I am **not **talking about sex, sex tips, or Andi with you."

"Fine." If Sam didn't know better, he'd swear the Devil was pouting. "Work it is. To tell you the truth, I'm surprised you're already on the job. I just got the file myself."

"I saw the dead girl when we went out to dinner. She was once a waitress there. You told me to follow the dead, so I followed the dead." Odd. Sam could have sworn the Devil seemed unnerved when he mentioned seeing the ghost. But the look passed quickly, and Sam told himself he must have imagined it. "The soul showed up to watch the police find her body."

"Yeah, and this bad boy was bad." Sam wasn't fooled by the sympathetic tone in the Devil's voice. "He was killed almost two years ago in a stand off when he took his girlfriend - the girl you met - hostage. Threatened to kill her in front of them. Looks like he came back to finish the job."

"How'd he die?"

"Shot at the cops, and the cops shot back. Managed to take one of them with him."

"That's awful."

The Devil shrugged. "His name was Frank Gainer. In life he had a rap sheet a couple of miles long. Not the petty stuff either. Mainly assault, some battery. Attempted murder. Rape. Lots of domestic violence calls."

"So he didn't like women?"

"He thought they were beneath him. Pretty much put on earth to do his bidding. He didn't know Melissa was pregnant when he died."

"You know," Sam said thoughtfully, "Having a son would really stroke his ego. I bet he came back to the scene of the crime to see if he could find the baby. Maybe he thought he'd learn something from the police."

The Devil considered that. "Maybe." Then he gave a mischievous grin. "Or maybe he wanted to congratulate you on finally becoming a man."

"Shut up," Sam groaned. But the Devil was gone.

Sam shouted at the ground. "Wait! What about the vessel?" Getting no answer, he stomped the grass. "Dammit!"


	5. Chapter 5

"Oh, look." Sam couldn't hide his sarcasm. "There it is." Irritated, he glared at the vessel box sitting on the ground next to Ben. Forced to walk back after the chase, he was not in a good mood.

"It showed up right after you took off after the soul," Ben informed him.

Frustrated, Sam kicked the car. "Figures."

"What took you so long?" Sock asked.

Sam heaved a large sigh. "What do you think? I lost the soul after chasing him for a mile, and then the Devil had to show up to torture me about Andi."

"What'd you say?"

"I told him to stuff it."

"And that's why you had to walk instead of him teleporting you back," Ben stated wisely.

Sam whined as he leaned against the car. "Why don't I ever learn?"

"Because obviously Sam, you're a glutton for punishment."

"Thanks, Ben."

"You're welcome."

"I was being sarcastic."

"I wasn't."

Sock became impatient watching the bickering. He picked up the box and shook it. It made a weird rattle sound. "Aren't you going to open it?"

Sighing, Sam said. "Yeah, fine. Hand it here." Sock gave him the box and he opened it. After waving the smoke away, he picked up the vessel.

Ben eyed it suspiciously. "Is that a rattle?"

"Looks like it."

"A baby rattle?"

"I'm pretty sure babies do use these to rattle."

"What the hell are you supposed to do with it?"

"If I knew that Ben, I'd have an easy job. We all know the Devil wouldn't want that."

"Yeah." Ben was silent for a moment. Suddenly he blurted out, "The baby!"

Sam nodded. "Yeah, I thought of that. The Devil said Gainer didn't know about the baby before he died. I bet that's why he came back tonight after he killed Melissa. To try and find it."

"Great," Sock grumbled. "Now we have to find a kid? How? Any bright ideas, Oh Great One?"

Sam looked thoughtful. "I have one."

Ben agreed. "Me too."

They both turned to look at Sock.

Sock immediately went in a defensive mode. "No. No way. I've had enough of her company tonight."

"It's the only way, Sock," Sam reasoned. "If the baby's been moved, she'll know where they took him. She has access to the records." Giving Sock his best puppy dog eyes, Sam pouted. "C'mon, Sock. We're gonna need Josie."

"Fine," Sock said angrily. "But she better acknowledge that He-Man would totally kick Conan's ass in a fight any day of the week."

* * *

In the end, it was just Sam alone who had stood in front of Josie's door. Ben and Sock were around the corner, and said they'd follow him to the courthouse. Sam had been surprised by how easy it had been to convince Josie to help him. When she had answered her door, she had taken one look at Sam, then immediately reached for her coat and asked him what he needed. They'd walked straight to her car.

Entering her office, Josie asked, "What's the name again?"

"Melissa Daughtry."

Josie turned on her computer and waited for it to boot up. Sam went to check the hallway to make sure no guards were passing. Behind him, he heard her type in the information.

"So," she said while they were waiting for the results. "Andi says you told her you love her."

Sam smiled to himself. Just thinking of Andi gave him pleasure. Once he finished this job, the first place he was headed was straight for her arms. Sheepishly, he admitted, "Yeah. I guess I did."

"She said that's why she slept with you, even after you stood her up again."

Sam banged his head on a shelf when he turned too fast back to look at Josie. "What?"

Josie took a deep breath. She seemed to be steeling herself for something. "Sam, what's going on with you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Don't play stupid, Sam. It's not you, and to be quite frank, it's pretty insulting at this point."

Sam went for his automatic response: denial. "There's really not much going on."

Josie snorted. "Please. Why don't you try that line when it's not 11 o'clock, and we're not breaking into my office to look up information on a murdered woman you've never met, so that you can find a kid you don't know."

Sam tried to figure out why Josie was confronting him like this. "Did Andi say anything tonight? After I left? Is that what this is about?"

Her hesitation made him nervous. Looking uncomfortable, she admitted the truth to him. "It's not just about what she said tonight. Sam, Andi wanted to make dinner for you last night because she was trying to save your relationship. She wanted to make a last ditch effort to try and connect."

"She thinks we don't connect?" Hurt washed over him. "What are you saying, Josie?"

"Sam! You can't seriously think she just accepts all your excuses?" Josie looked incredulous. Then she looked away. Maybe she thought she'd been too harsh telling him that. "But using sex to try to save a relationship that's sinking is a bad idea." Her tone was sad. Sam got the impression she was thinking of something, or someone, else. He didn't understand why her words cut such pain through him. Josie was obviously misreading whatever Andi had told her. He and Andi were fine. Andi loved him.

Josie looked at him with sympathy. "Look, Sam. I don't doubt you love Andi. I've watched you pine over her since you were sixteen. I'm happy you two are finally together. I am," she insisted. "But whatever is going on with you is a problem, and it's selfish what you're doing to her." She hesitated before delivering the final blow. "I'm sorry, Sam, but if you can't keep her happy, maybe it's time for you to consider letting her go."

Sam could do nothing but just look at her. He swallowed the painful lump forming in his throat. "I want to make her happy," he said quietly.

"I know."

"I can make her happy."

"I hope so, Sam."

Sam shook his head. She didn't understand. "I can make her happy," he repeated with a little more force, more to assure himself than her. Josie said nothing.

They both jumped when the computer beeped. Josie turned to look at the screen. "Okay, this is saying there's a little boy, about a year and a half. His name is Henry. Children's Services has him listed at the address of, huh, must be her sister. The name is Cassandra Daughtry." She grabbed a stick-it note and started writing. "Here's her address."

"Thanks, Jose." Before she could say anything more, he left.

* * *

"So? Did you get it?" Sock asked the second Sam got into the car.

"Yeah, but it's too late to talk to her now. I think I'm just gonna keep watch over her house tonight, and then talk to her in the morning."

"Sounds like a plan," Ben agreed. "You want us to keep you company?"

"You know, I really don't need you two. Why don't you go home and try and get some sleep? We can meet up again tomorrow."

"Actually, Sam," Sock told him, "Benny and I have the morning shift."

Sam lit up. "So does Andi. I have the afternoon." Sam gazed out the window thinking of her. "You know, Andi really seemed to like that restaurant tonight. I have some money saved, maybe I'll take her out to some ritzy place for dinner tomorrow. Just the two of us. Really splurge on her. Make up for tonight," he paused before adding, "and last night. I think she'd really enjoy that."

Sock and Ben exchanged glances, which Sam missed. Ben said in a reassuring tone, "Sure, Sam. That sounds like something Andi would like."


	6. Chapter 6

Sam watched Cassie pick up Henry from the crib in the spare bedroom. The night watch had been uneventful, and Sam had introduced himself when he had seen signs of life stir in the house. Cassie had invited him in, and they had talked about Melissa for awhile. Well, mainly she had talked. Sam had politely sat and listened. When Henry woke up, Cassie had excused herself to go get him. Sam had followed to make sure she didn't need any help. Now all three returned to the living room.

"Did you know her well?" Cassie asked as she sat down on the sofa.

Sam shook his head, taking his own seat on the armchair. "No. We'd just met." The baby fussed in Cassie's arms, and she leaned down to comfort him. Searching for something to say, he settled for telling her for the second time that morning, "I really am very sorry about your loss."

Cassie was silent for a while. Then looking at Henry, she said, "You know, it's ironic. After that whole disaster with Frank, she was just now starting to get her life back on track. She had a good job, a nice place, and had even started dating again." She was obviously fighting back tears. "She was actually starting to be fun again." Then Cassie did cry. "I'm going to miss her so much."

They heard a sudden sound outside and Sam jumped up. He rushed over to the window and looked out. Gainer was standing on the other side of the street. Turning back to Cassie, Sam ordered her quickly, "I need you to take the baby and get out of here." She looked confused. "Look, I can't really explain, but I think the man who killed your sister is after her son. You need to leave. Now."

Cassie watched him with a look of uncertainty on her face. He was a complete stranger after all. She must have decided he was trustworthy because she then nodded. "Okay." She picked up Henry, and Sam helped her escape out the back through the kitchen. "Run," he urged. "Go hide at your neighbor's." Cassie didn't need to be told twice. She took off with Henry immediately. Sam watched until they reached the house next door and he was satisfied they'd be safe.

He headed back to the living room. As he walked he took out the rattle and shook it. Nothing happened. Sam swore the next time he saw the Devil he'd say screw it with the info about the souls, just give him the directions for the vessels.

He passed the spare bedroom that doubled as Henry's room, and came to a sudden stop. Looking into the room, he smiled to himself.

He had an idea.

* * *

The house was silent when he entered. Gainer speculated the residents must still be asleep. He'd take his son first, then find the woman who dared take him away. Then he'd kill her, preferably by invoking a lot of pain.

Gainer entered the small bedroom and headed directly for the crib. The child laying in it was fast asleep. He reached in and pulled back the blanket covering his son.

But his son wasn't there. It was a teddy bear, with a baby rattle laying on top. Fury arose in him as he picked up the rattle and shook it in his rage. Immediately, the floor gave a lurch. Gainer looked around in confusion as the floor lurched again. He turned around to see Sam standing in the doorway. Sam gave him a large smile and waved. "Bye, bye." The floor starting shaking uncontrollably and Gainer lost his hold on the rattle. It fell to the floor. Large rays of light shot out of it, wrapping themselves around him. He screamed as the rays pulled him into the vessel. Then the shaking stopped.

Walking over, Sam picked up the rattle. He made sure no one was watching. Then he mimicked a touchdown and yelled into the empty room, "YES!"

* * *

Sam had rushed to make it to the DMV before Gladys' lunch break. He had learned the hard way that missing it added at least an extra hour to his wait. Today, he was in luck. Not only was Gladys still there, but the line of customers was unusually short. He'd only stood in line for five minutes, instead of the usual forty.

"Hi, Gladys," Sam said as he approached her. After this, he looked forward to going back to his apartment and taking a nap until it was time for his shift at the Bench and he saw Andi again. He'd entertained himself in line by remembering the last time he'd slept in his bed. He cheerfully asked Gladys, "Place the vessel on the mat?"

She pushed the mat forward. Then something occurred that frightened him more than anything he'd ever encountered before.

Gladys smiled.

"Good morning, Sam," she said kindly.

Sam stared at her, his hand frozen with the vessel still in it. As far as he could tell, she wasn't being sarcastic. She actually seemed like she was trying to be _nice_. Noticing his reaction, Gladys quickly reverted back to her old self.

"Place the vessel on the mat."

Sam slowly placed the rattle on the mat. Gladys took a quick glance at it, then picked it up and put it in the tube.

Forcing himself to speak, Sam slowly told her, "Thank you, Gladys." He backed up, straight into the lady standing behind him waiting for the next teller. Sam quickly apologized, and rushed out of the DMV as quickly as he had rushed to get in.

He didn't know Gladys watched him worriedly all the way.


	7. Chapter 7

"Tacks," Sam muttered. "Tacks, tacks, tacks, tacks, tacks. Where the hell are they?" he asked himself as he walked down the aisles searching for the section he wanted. Turning down the lighting aisle, he stopped short. Andi was marking inventory not more than ten feet in front of him. She stood by the floor lamps, and the light that cast over her looked like she was surrounded by a halo. She was gorgeous.

"Hey," he said softly.

She looked up. "Hey yourself," she replied gently.

"I know it's lame, but what's a gorgeous girl like you doing hanging out with this dim bulb crowd?"

Andi gave a sweet laugh, and Sam's heart lifted. A small hope rose in him that maybe things would turn out okay. "That _is _lame, Sam," she agreed.

He flashed her a shy smile. "I missed you." He leaned in for a kiss, but to his distress, she turned away.

"Sam, we need to talk." He noticed how she refused to look at him.

Sam started to speak in a rush. "I'm sorry about last night. It's just something came up that I needed to take care of and I'm sorry I didn't call but I promise - "

Andi interrupted him. "Sam," she ordered. "Stop. Just stop."

He looked into her eyes, and that's when he lost it. Sam couldn't help it. The pain wouldn't go away. He just started babbling. "I don't want to stop. I have to keep talking. If I stop, you'll tell me something I don't want to hear. You'll tell me how much I hurt you, how disappointed you are in me. How I let you down and don't treat you right, even though I love you more than my own life and would do anything I could for you. How even though I've loved you for years, and waited for so long for you to notice me, it doesn't matter and it's all over. If I stop talking, you'll tell me you don't love me, and that you don't want to be with me anymore and that there are no more chances to ever be with you again." He tried to pull her close, but she resisted. "I'll do better, I promise. I'll work harder. Anything. Please, Andi. Don't do this."

"Sam." Andi took a deep breath. She held his eyes, then spoke sadly, "I think we made a mistake."

Sam tried to deny her words. "No. What we have is not a mistake. _We _are not a mistake. What we did was **not **a mistake. I love you. You make me happy." Pleading, he made one final attempt to change her mind. "I can make you happy," he insisted.

Slowly, with tears streaming down her beautiful face, she shook her head. "That's the problem, Sam. All you do is make me sad."

More in denial than anything else, he shook his head as he backed away. He felt removed from his next words. "So it's over?"

"Yes, Sam. It's over."

The words were obviously final. If he wasn't so numb, he might have felt his heart rip in half. Without a word, he blindly turned around and headed for the exit. As he was leaving, he bumped into someone at the door.

"And where do you think you're going, Mr. Oliver? Your shift just started."

Sam looked at Ted, but didn't really see him. Ted gave him an odd look. Sam just stood in front of him like an idiot. Then Sam slowly took his apron off.

"Here, Ted." He handed his apron to his manager. "Consider this my final notice. I won't be coming back." Then he walked out of the store.

**

* * *

**

Sam wandered around aimlessly for nearly an hour before he ended up at the park.

Over by the pond, he finally saw the well dressed man he had expected to find the moment he arrived here. The man was sitting on a wooden bench, feeding the ducks. Sam walked over and without a word, sat down beside him. The man offered him a bag of bread crumbs, which Sam took. They kept an amiable silence for awhile, watching the sunset and feeding the birds. As he watched the sun drop lower in the sky, Sam couldn't help but think it was mocking him with the fact that soon it would be gone.

Finally, he asked, "Is this all because I gave into temptation when I slept with Andi?"

The Devil shook his head. "Not really. You should consider that more as a gift. I thought it would make it easier for you."

Sam nodded and threw some more crumbs out. After awhile, he spoke again. "I guess I should thank you. For giving them a reason why I left, that is. Instead of just making them wonder. They'll buy I left because of a broken heart. I think they'd prefer believing that actually. I know my mom really couldn't take it if she knew I was gone only because you thought it was time for me to go to Hell."

"You're welcome." The Devil watched Sam closely, but said nothing more. He knew Sam needed time to digest what was happening, and they could afford a few more moments.

"I should write them a letter before I go. Explain things."

"Already done."

Sam looked up in surprise.

"Your mom will find it on the kitchen table in a couple of hours. Don't worry. You'd approve. I filled it with heartbroken moping. The stuff you're good at. It explained everything. I even managed to make a slam on Kyle."

Sam gave a soft chuckle. "He'd expect that." More silence. Then, as if it was torn from deep within him, he quietly confessed, "She said all I did was make her sad."

The Devil nudged him kindly. "You know that's not true. You've had many happy times together. I don't recall her being sad yesterday when you two were," he made a gesture clearly indicating what they did, "knocking boots, so to speak."

Sam winced at the memory. He didn't want to remember that anymore. It hurt too much. Yesterday seemed like a lifetime ago. "You were never really angry about my visit to the priest, were you?"

"No. Your contract is airtight. I made sure of that. I just wanted to prepare you for the possibility of leaving your friends and family. I knew you'd be more receptive to taking the bait Andi offered if you realized how easily it can all be taken away." He leaned over. "But you should know you can't hide in the church. As my property, I can go in and collect you." The Devil gave a small laugh. "But I know you'll never be that stupid."

Taking a deep breath, Sam finally asked the question he'd been putting off until the end. "Will it hurt when I die?"

"What? No! Sam!" The Devil actually looked offended. "What is with your obsession with death? You're so morbid! You're not going to die. Although," he mused, "you may wish you had."

"Terrific." The single word dripped with sarcasm.

"Relax, Sam. You're not going away forever. Just a little while, until your job is done. Then you can return," he gave him an encouraging smile, "and maybe try and win her back."

Sam slumped down miserably. "No, I'm pretty sure that bridge has been burned. She deserves better anyways. Someone who can be there for her. Take care of her. Someone with a future."

"Knock it off, Sam. I've told you before how much I dislike how stupid you act about that girl." Sam didn't respond and continued to gaze out at the pond, idly feeding the ducks.

Finally, the bread was gone and the sun had set. The Devil stood up. "Are you ready now?"

"If I say no, will you let me stay? Will you take it all back, let me out of my contract, and let me be with her?"

The Devil just gave him a wry smile. "Sam, enough. Self-pity time is over. It's time to go." He offered Sam his hand. Sam looked up, sighed, and took it. As the park around him disappeared, the Devil gave him one final piece of advice.

"Don't be scared, Sam. Just remember to be a good boy and everything will be all right."


End file.
